


Good Chemistry

by TheTruthHertz



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Garnet plays basketball, Hugs, Inspired by the page in the "Fusion for Beginners and Experts" book, Lab Partners, Pearl is on the dance team, both secretly crushing on each other, cheering, good chemistry, working together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 10:38:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13122009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTruthHertz/pseuds/TheTruthHertz
Summary: Pearl and Garnet end up being lab partners in their chemistry class.  The two work together well and enjoy being around each other.





	Good Chemistry

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this in a day, no official editing, so sorry if it's a little more rough than usual. This was inspired by the page found in the new Steven Universe "Fusion for Beginners and Experts" where Garnet and Pearl are described as having good chemistry.  
> https://thetruthampere.tumblr.com/post/168813900648/harinezumiko-thetruthampere-harinezumiko

 

^^^^^^

 

            A notebook, pencil, and calculator were routinely extracted from the redhead’s backpack as she sat down in her chemistry class.  Rows of chairs with wooden desks attached to them filled the middle of the room while lab stations were evenly spaced around the perimeter.  Glittering test tubes partially filled with a clear liquid, held in a wooden rack, sat on the tops of the lab stations.  Chatty students filed into the seats all around her, today was the day Ms. Sardonyx said that they would begin using the lab stations.  For five weeks they had been kept to their desks and had the basics of chemistry taught to them along with the safely rules for the classroom and using the labs.  Pearl extracted her set of clear safety goggles and a white lab coat next.  She was going to make sure she was safe throughout all of the experiments and that there was no chance of her outfit getting ruined if something unexpected happened.  Light blue eyes turned their attention to the front of the class where Ms. Sardonyx was patiently waiting for the bell to ring before taking control of the forty or so high school juniors.  The all too familiar sound was emitted from the overhead speakers, signaling the end of the break.

            “Welcome my students!” the tall teacher grinned as she stood up and walked to the front of the class.

            The chatter from break hadn’t died down yet, so Ms. Sardonyx cleared her throat.  One by one the voices died down.

            “I know you’re all as excited as I am, today we finally get to the lab portion of the class.  And since you all have been a fairly well-behaved class, I am considering letting all of you pick your lab partners.”

            At this the teens’ voices piped back up, friends connecting with others making fast plans on who would be in what pairs and which lab station they would claim.  The teacher cleared her throat again as she peered down at them through her grey translucent glasses.  Everyone quickly stopped their conversations and awaited the teacher’s instructions.

            “Remember the lab is a tool for hands-on learning, not for pranks, games, or wasting time.  Chemicals can be extremely dangerous so I urge you all to use care when using the equipment.  While we won’t be using any volatile elements or compounds, I don’t want anyone getting hurt,” came the stern, yet gentle warning.  Ms. Sardonyx clapped her hands together and grinned widely.  “With that said, let me go over how the seating is divided up, and then I’ll let you all scramble to get into your groups.  For anyone who is unable or didn’t want to bring their own set of safety goggles I have enough up here for the whole class if needed.  They are clean, but if you want there are also sanitizing wipes up here too.”

            The teacher strolled over to the nearest lab station, a raised table with four chairs set around it, two on each side.  Two gas nozzles were fixed to the end of the thick table and two sets of filled test tube racks and other equipment were set out.

            “There are four seats at each station, two pairs that then make a group.  Your lab partner will be the one sitting next to you.  Some labs will just be in the pairs, while the larger ones will involve the whole group.  Today is a partner lab.  Make sure to choose your partner carefully as you will be working together for the rest of the year.”  Ms. Sardonyx looked over all of the teenagers who were either barely containing their excitement or staring off into space.  “You have two minutes to get seated into a lab station of your choosing, no running!” she finished with a slightly sing-song tone to her voice.

            Pearl didn’t even have time to think of her predicament of being in a class that most of her good friends were not in.  She stood up from her desk and made to move, but was blocked by the traffic of the other students swiftly claiming their desired stations.  Sitting in the middle and towards the front had its downside in this situation.  The pale teenager slipped on her lab coat and goggles as she waited for an opening.  Seats were filling up quickly, light blue eyes zeroed in on an empty side of a lab station.  That was going to be hers.  Long legs gracefully weaved between the desks and in moments she had grabbed the chair and sat down at the same time the chair next to her had been pulled back.  Through the transparent safety goggles secured to her face, Pearl turned to see who was going to be her lab partner.

            Red, white, and black, their school colors, made up the teen’s athletic jacket.  A wide afro framed her face while pink, wide, reflective glasses covered almost half of it.  The two looked at each other for a moment.

            “Looks like you’re my partner,” came the smooth, accented voice.

            “Yes,” Pearl nodded.  She then stuck her hand out.  “Pearl.”

            A firm hand grasped hers.

            “Garnet,” the dark teen returned.

            “Time’s up!” Ms. Sardonyx called from the front of the room.  “Look around you, these students will be your lab partners and group for the rest of the year.  Of course if there is some major conflict or need to change, come speak with me privately and everything will get sorted out.”

            Pearl looked across from her at the other two sitting at the lab station.  Two familiar faces, Opal and Lapis.

            “How are you doing Garnet?  Has your coach started doing conditioning yet?” Opal greeted the pale teen’s lab partner.

            “Not yet, but I feel it coming, my legs are already feeling the phantom fatigue.”

            “It won’t be that bad,” the tall volleyball player rolled her eyes.

            Further conversation was cut off as the teacher called for quiet, went over the instructions for the lab, and passed out the lab sheets.  Six test tubes sat in the rack, filled with 25ml of six different types of a clear liquid with a secondary chemical that will help to show the reaction.  The goal for the lab was to figure out which compound was in each test tube by pouring in the correct amount of the second clear liquid supplied in a large beaker that would turn the resulting solution into one of six possible colors.  One lab sheet was to be shared between the partners and had spots for both names to be written in.  Hints were given as to how much of the second solution would be required to turn one of the mystery ones into a color.  They were then to write down which amount turned which test tube what color.  A simple lab, a good one to start out with and ease the students into using lab equipment.

            Pearl examined the mystery tubes as she read over the hints for the third time.  Off to their side a hand set a pair of goggles in front of Garnet.

            “Safety first,” Ms. Sardonyx sang as she kept on walking, dropping off goggles to those who didn’t have them.

            Garnet just stared at the object.

            “You’re not going to put them on?” Pearl prodded.

            The dark teen faced her, grabbed the goggles, stretched the elastic band as far as it would go so it could be put on her head without completely getting caught in her afro, and let them spring into place on top her reflective glasses.  They stuck out a couple inches awkwardly since the athletic teen’s sunglasses were bigger than the safety equipment and didn’t allow for them to rest against her face at all.

            “I don’t think they are really going to help much,” came Garnet’s deadpan comment.

            Pearl stared for two solid seconds, a chuckle threatening to bubble up her throat at the slightly comedic sight.

            “If anything I’d say your defenses have doubled,” she couldn’t help but counter.

            A small smirk appeared in the corner of the curly haired teen’s mouth.  “While my defenses may have doubled, my visibility has been halved.  Everything is distorted by the twisted goggles.”  She reached out and waved her arms around.  “My depth perception is gone…I can’t…I can’t tell if I’m going to crash into something.”

            The pale teen quickly grabbed the beaker of solution and pulled it closer to her out of harm's way.  Low chuckling rumbled from Garnet as she stopped and regarded her.

            “Nice lab coat.”

            Pearl’s face heated up, eyes glancing around the room.  While she had thought it was a good idea at first, now it just seemed silly to wear as she was the only one with one on.

            “I’d have to say that your defenses must be triple,” the curly haired teen continued as she removed the goggles and readjusted her sunglasses.

            “Thanks,” the pale teen muttered through her embarrassment.  After clearing her throat, she changed topics.  “So which tube do you think we should try first?  We can start by adding increments of 10 milliliters until something changes.”

            Garnet made no response, but instead opened her notebook and created a table with one column dedicated to each of the six test tubes and several blank rows.

            “The lowest amount that will cause one of the solutions to turn is 15 milliliters, so if we add 15 milliliters to each, one will certainly turn.  We keep track then how much we’ve added in each as we jump up to the next amount,” the athlete suggested.

            Faint eyebrows jumped up into Pearl’s hairline.  “That’s…a really good idea!  We won’t have to keep guessing, and it will take minimal time to find out each one.”

            Her lab partner nodded, a small smile resting on her lips.

            “I’ll go grab a dropper and a small beaker so we can measure out and pour it in easily,” Pearl offered as she stood to get the items.

            Once they had the tools they needed, Garnet and Pearl took turns measuring out the second solution and adding it to each of the mystery tubes.  After the addition had been made, it was recorded on the dark teen’s notebook.  On the fourth tube, the resulting solution turned to a bright, light blue.  The next amount that would make a solution turn was 25 milliliters, so they simply added 10 milliliters to each remaining tube.  Dark green finally showed on the sixth tube.   Excited chatter filled the room as the students went about their various ways of trying to get the intended results.  Ms. Sardonyx drifted about the room answering questions and providing helpful tips.  One by one each of the tubes turned their designated colors.  As Garnet added the last 20 milliliters of solution the final tube turned a pale orange color.  Pearl quickly jotted down their findings and matched up what the mystery liquid had been.

            “Reminds me of our teacher’s hair color,” the dark teen commented as she stared at the test tube.

            Pearl was surprised by the odd comment, but after looking back and forth between the solution and Ms. Sardonyx, there was no denying it.

            “I agree,” came the light laugh.

            “We have only twenty minutes left in class, for those of you who are done, please bring your lab equipment up to the right area of the front table.  I will need those to set up everything for the next class,” their teacher announced.  “The rest of you can continue for the next ten minutes to figure it out, but then I will need you to clean up!”

            Cleaning up went as smoothly as the lab had, leaving them with fifteen minutes to spare.  In the corner of Pearl’s eye, she saw Garnet extend her fist towards her.

            “Good job today, Pearl.”

            A blush formed on her pale cheeks once again as she gently bumped the fist.  “Thanks, you too, your idea worked really well.”

            “Thanks,” Garnet grinned.  “See you next class.”

            “Yeah,” the pale teen readily agreed.

 

            Being a lab partner with Garnet was easily becoming the highlight of Pearl’s academic week.  The athlete was helpful, smart, and cared about doing well in the class.  One of their later labs involved working together to solve a number of chemical equations.  Garnet was struggling with it until Pearl explained that balancing the sides was the key.  A reaction may change which elements are bonded together, but couldn’t create or destroy quantities of elements; they all had to be there from the beginning to the end.  Working in the group of four with Opal and Lapis went relatively well, but if Pearl had to be honest, she enjoyed the partner labs much more.  The two of them just worked so well together, it was refreshing.  Silent, studious attitudes gave way to casual friendly conversation.  While Pearl had figured out that Garnet was on the basketball team, the dark teen didn’t know Pearl was on the dance team until she showed up to class one day wearing the same thing that all of her fellow dancers were, due to it being homecoming for the football team.  The curly haired teen finally realized why Pearl had looked familiar to her despite them never really interacting before becoming lab partners.

            “So,” Garnet pointed to the bun attached to the back of Pearl’s head.  “You have short hair, I didn’t think there was enough to put up at all.”

            “I don’t, it’s fake.”

            “A fake bun?”

            “Yes,” Pearl confirmed as she tried to focus on the lab.

            “Is it just so you all look uniform?” Garnet pried.

            “Yes.”

            The topic was dropped as they worked on calculating the correct amount of base needed to balance out the acidic solution.

            “I’ve always been impressed with how you all can do the cancan so well,” Garnet spoke up as she mimicked the dance move with her fingers on the lab table.  “It’s so fluid and perfectly timed.  How often do you practice that?”

            “Whenever we are going through a routine that has it, or whenever our coach feels we need to.  It’s not too hard once you get the rhythm and timing up, the rest then is having the endurance and discipline to make each kick perfect.”

            “Yeah?  The routine you will be doing tonight, does it have the cancan?” the curly haired teen’s voice picked up a little in excitement.

            A small smile formed on Pearl’s lips.  “You’ll have to come and watch to find out,” she teased.

            “Awww,” Garnet leaned back in her chair dramatically sighing.

            The pale teen couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips.

            “I was considering going, you know since it’s the big deal game and all, but now I have to go.”

            “I think you’ve made a smart decision.”

            “Yeah?” the curly haired teen leaned on the table towards Pearl.  “Is that code for you ladies are going to do the cancan?”

            Light blue eyes glanced side-ways at covered ones.  A smirk curled into the corner of her mouth.

            “You’ll have to come and see.”

            Garnet groaned and slumped in her chair.  “I don’t know if I can wait that long to find out.”

            “Well calculating out your answer should help you pass the time,” Pearl gently nudged as continued to work on hers.

            “Oh, I’m already done and have my answer.”

            “What?” the pale teen whirled to look at Garnet’s paper.  Sure enough the dark teen had an amount listed for how much base would be needed.  Flustered, Pearl turned back to her own sheet.  “I would be done too if you weren’t distracting me.”

            The redhead didn’t have to look to know that Garnet had moved closer to her.

            “I didn’t know I was so distracting,” came the lower remark.

            Pearl’s face went bright red.  “That’s not what I meant!” she hissed.

            The dark teen simply hummed and continued to stare at her.  Pearl redoubled her efforts and did her best to ignore her lab partner for the minute it took to come to her result.

            “Done!  Now let us compare and see if we need to redo this.  What did you get?” she faced her partner.

            “132 milliliters.”

            “132 milliliters,” Pearl nodded in agreement.

            “Alright, well do you want to do the honors of pouring it in or measuring it out?” Garnet motioned to the beaker.

            “I’ll measure this time and you pour.”

            “Deal.”

 

            The frigid air bit through the curly haired teen’s sweatshirt and jeans, making her almost reconsider going to the game and just heading back to her warm house.  However, Garnet was determined to find out and get to see Pearl do the cancan.  She could last the hour and a half it would take to reach the homecoming halftime show.  Instead of sitting down on the ice-cold metal bleachers, Garnet moved around to stay warmer, chatting with friends and grooving to the pep band’s tunes.  Finally, at long last, just when she was sure her legs had turned into blocks of ice, the football teams cleared off the field and the halftime show began.  There was the cheerleaders’ routine, then the presentation of the class parade floats, then the crowning of the homecoming king and queen, and then the dance team moved out onto the field in their shimmering red outfits.  Garnet almost wanted to cheer just for that alone.  The dance team’s outfit was a glittery, sleeveless bodice with a v-neckline and a mid-thigh skirt with large pleats in it.  Despite how cold it was outside, they smiled wide and stood tall.  A mixed track began to play that combined bits and pieces from various current top hits with a couple of classics.  The dancers moved to the beat with their synchronized arm movements, kicks, and formations.  Garnet jumped a little and cheered when they all lined up, linked arms and began to perform one high kick right after another.  But it didn’t stop there.  The line broke into four pieces, connected at a center point, and began to rotate like spokes in a wheel all while still performing the cancan.  Further exclamations of awe escaped the dark teen’s mouth as the four segments became two and one line would walk backwards, bend down, and slip between the other as they advanced kicking high to the beat.  The move was completed a couple more times with the two lines switching back and forth.  One long line of cancan dancers was reformed for a final hurrah before they broke and dropped to the ground in two smooth actions just as the music ended.  Cheers filled the air, Garnet called out Pearl’s name and punched the air.  The redhead looked her direction and sent a wink her way.  A wide grin broke out on Garnet’s face.  Shivering through the cold had been well worth it.

            Minutes later the football teams were back into action as the referees’ whistles cut through the air.  Garnet kept an eye on the dance team, hoping for a chance to speak with Pearl before leaving for the night.  Steadily she made her way to where they were gathering their bags and putting on their matching sweatpants and zip-up hoodies.  The dark teen spotted her favorite dancer.

            “Pearl!” she called out as she rushed over.  “That was amazing!” she exclaimed as she enveloped the pale teen in a big hug, picked her up, and spun her around once before setting her back down.

            “Oh! My!” Pearl nervously laughed, obviously caught by surprise by the show of affection.

            Garnet’s face burned with embarrassment when she realized what she had done. “Oh I am so sorry!  I should have asked you before just…um…invading your space and picking you up and all.”

            “No!  No, you’re fine,” Pearl placed a reassuring hand on Garnet’s arm and squeezed it after she had recovered, “You just surprised me that’s all,” she finished with a smile.

            “Well, um I just wanted to let you know the cancan was great, the whole routine was great, but that was my favorite part.”

            “Thank you,” the red head tucked a loose strand behind her ear as a blush formed on her cheeks.  Pearl’s face suddenly turned to worry as she felt the back of her head.  “My…my bun is missing…”

            Covered eyes swept the area for a couple of seconds before locating the fake bun laying a few feet off to the side.  Garnet grabbed the item and handed it to Pearl.

            “Thanks,” the pale teen took the bun and put it into her duffle bag.

            “Must have flung off when I was spinning you around,” Garnet scratched the back of her neck.

            “Don’t worry about it, it wasn’t an unwelcomed invasion of my space.”

            “Oh, well that’s a relief,” the curly haired teen chuckled.

            “Thank you for coming and watching, I could hear you cheering,” Pearl smiled as she gave Garnet a hug.

            “Of course, I gotta come see more now.”

            When Pearl broke the hug, she didn’t step completely back, but kept one arm around Garnet’s waist and rested her face in the crook of her neck.  Garnet let her arm stay around Pearl’s shoulders.  Inside her ribcage her heart beat wildly at the extended contact.  There was a shred of hope that Pearl couldn’t hear the pounding in her chest, but the look in the pale teen’s eyes and the blush gracing her cheeks shattered that.  A light chuckle escaped Pearl’s lips as she leaned more into the side hug.  Garnet couldn’t help but laugh along.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all liked it! Long live Pearlnet!!


End file.
